Hours you worked while you were in school.

[vaileheart]

:roll Hello all!!! I know that nursing school is a very time-consuming few years of all of our lives. My question/wonderment is how many of you worked (or are working & going to school now) while you were enrolled in school and how many hours did you work. I have not yet started my classes but am doing everything possible to get ready for this. I am getting someone to move in now so that I can save that money, I am working every little odd and end job I can find and saving every penny. I know I won't be able to work as much as I do now and take my nursing classes and clinicals and studying time seriously so I am doing what I can to save up as much as possible. Thanks in advance to everyone who replies !!!

[smrfett76]

I worked a full time and PRN job (apx 50hr/week) through the prereqs and 1st semester. Then I dropped my prn job and worked full time(36hr/ week) until I failed 3rd semester. Then I went to 24hr and was fine. I also have 2 kids and a husband who worked out of town alot, so it seemed like I was a single mother at times. But I was able to graduate with a 3.4 GPA (even with the D on my transcript.) I agree with the other poster that said to keep work a secret from your instructors if you can. There were some that singled us out unfairly, but others that were supportive and understood that we had to survive. Just use your best judgement. Take care and I wish you the best of luck.

[PeachyERNurse, BSN, RN]

I worked 36-50 hrs a week(3 p/t jobs) through 1st and 2nd semester. 3rd semester starts Tuesday, and I'll probably only be working 28-30 hrs. Hey, I got bills to pay!

[margaretptz]

3 part time jobs, between work and school is a 7 day week. I work 31 hours a week, go to school full time RN ADN degree, and have a 4.0 GPA. I'm not saying it is easy, just do able. Of course I have no other life besides school and work and study.

[Annabelle57]

During pre-reqs, I did full-time (40 hours/wk) work, then when I started my accelerated BSN, I went to 12-24 hours a week, plus as many shifts as I can squeeze in during breaks/holidays. Generally, I do 1-2 days per week plus one weekend (Saturday and Sunday) per month, all 7am-7pm. It works out to about 7-8 shifts a month. I know other students who don't work at all... and still other students who work 2-3 shifts a week, often during the night shift.

[caliotter3]

When working around the clock with jobs and school, I also, over time, developed sleep problems which have become permanent. Sleep problems have affected my health adversely. One time about 5 yrs ago, my employer was trying to work on my schedule in the office and I was actually babbling that I couldn't sleep. I really couldn't. I was told to see a doctor, as if, meds would be the long term answer to the problem. You always have to be aware of potential unintended consequences.

[drmorton2b]

I do 18-25 hours a week a the Hospital Pharmacy working, and about 5-10 hours a weekend (Retail Schedualing SUCKS!!) at a retail pharmacy. Plus I go to school at night since the Pharmacy is basically a 9-4PM job.

[barbaratruth, RN]

I worked full-time while doing science pre-requisites at night.

I worked full-time for semester 1 and most of semester 2 of nursing school (which I just finished). I just downsized my hours to about 20 per week a few weeks before the semester ended.

I begin my full-time summer paid externship (which will last 8 weeks - June through July).

When I go back for semester 3 the end of August, I will not be working at all (too much school work plus more clinicals) and do not plan on working the final semester (full course load, clinicals and NCLEX prep).

I took out a student loan to cover my final two semesters of rent and will be using some savings to pay for everything else.

Myself and other students have realized that stress of working and school work is too much as the program progresses.

Good luck to you.

[dria]

i worked 5-6 evenings per week...probably about 30-45 hrs....made a decision to 1. not work in healthcare so as not to burn out the field before i finished school and 2. bind and gag the perfectionist in me that said i needed a 4.0...i made it out of school somewhere around a 3.5 with my sanity intact (and with the same degree everyone else got)...i think at the end of the day, you have to do whats best for you

[nursewannabee]

I only work 20 hrs a week as an LNA. If you don't have to work don't do it. Why make yourself crazy and stress out. I have a hard time with working and school. I know others (not many) who work 32 hrs but are barely scraping by with C's. Some people can do it. Some people can't. I would say to start off slow with work and see how you adjust to school. The first semester is shocking with the amount of work. The second semester you are used to it and can handle it better but it doesn't get easier. Just know that the sacrifice of having less money now will be a great pay off in a couple of years. I would take out loans to live on if I had to. Just live very frugally and you will be ok. Of course while you are in school there will not be a lot of time to spend money anyways. Try to get a job where you can study at the same time. Just my 2 Cents.

Best of Luck to you

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

I am working overnights FT with scheduling on weekends. I can study at my job since I am a night shifter in a psych hospital. Work is doable but I think you have to put other things on the back burner so you can save yourself physically. I schedule my clinicals on my days off and use vacation as needed to give myself time off for clinicals. (I am a parent so I have to use work enough to maintain health insurance etc for my kids.)

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

Two part time jobs - wasn't allowed to work more than 20 hrs/week.

cheers,

[sshannon]

I'm in my third semester of nursing school, keeping a 4.0, and am working 12-18 hours/week. That's plenty...wouldn't want to have to do more.